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This is about the inverters that connect to the car battery.
1. Can these be powerful enough to power a full size refrigerator?
2. Would I have to have the engine running to power a refrigerator?
3. If I have to run the engine, how long should I be able to safely run the engine at idle in a hot and humid summer in a covered but open parking space?
We have a 2015 Hyundai Elantra 1.8L and 2019 Hyundai Kona 2.0L
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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A refrigerator draws 6 amps so would require an inverter of at least 600 watts to run. Because the motor startup requires more, I would go for at least 1,000 watts. That would drain a fully charged car battery in about 2 hours. Unfortunately idling and drawing for the inverter will also cause your battery to go flat, because there are not enough RPMs for the alternator to keep it charged. Also, many jurisdictions have laws against idling for a long period. If I were you, I would purchase a 2,000 watt inverter generator that runs on regular pump gas. I use mine (Firman) for the refrigerator often in power outages, and it was just under $500 at Costco. It's not much louder than your car, at 54dB
A refrigerator draws 6 amps so would require an inverter of at least 600 watts to run. Because the motor startup requires more, I would go for at least 1,000 watts. That would drain a fully charged car battery in about 2 hours. Unfortunately idling and drawing for the inverter will also cause your battery to go flat, because there are not enough RPMs for the alternator to keep it charged. Also, many jurisdictions have laws against idling for a long period. If I were you, I would purchase a 2,000 watt inverter generator that runs on regular pump gas. I use mine (Firman) for the refrigerator often in power outages, and it was just under $500 at Costco. It's not much louder than your car, at 54dB
I’ll look into that. In the meantime I do have some battery powered lawn tools and am looking into their $50 to $100 inverters that use these battery packs for power for TV, phone charging, and maybe a small fan for an extended power outage during and following a hurricane. The TV for news updates if not available on battery powered radio. Some of these battery inverters claim to be able to power a refrigerator but I’m skeptical.
+1 on the inverter generator recommendation. My Honda EU2000i will run my large refrigerator, network infrastructure (cable modem, switches, etc.) plus a bunch of lights and a window A/C for over 8 hours on less than a gallon of gasoline when used as a backup generator for my home. It's light enough to carry with one hand and quiet enough that you can have a normal conversation while standing right next to it. I often bring it with me when I'm going to be somewhere with no electricity for an entire day or weekend. Plus, it will also run on propane.
Just buy an inverter generator. I used the Honda inverter generator to power the boiler, well's pump, one refrigerator, and two freezers. However, I don't power all of these appliances at once. For example, the boiler only until the house's temperatures (zones) are up to normal, then the well's pump, then the freezers, and finally the refrigerator. To power all the appliances I would need to use a 7,500-watt generator.
A 500-watt refrigerator will probably require 600-watts input into the inverter.
The issue is, that 600-watts is at about 12-volts if the car is not running.
So, that is a LOT of juice being sucked out of the batteries: I = P/V. 600W/12V = 50-amps. A 50-amp draw is going to really bonk most batteries quite quickly.
You will either need a very large battery-bank, or an ungraded, high-output alternator in addition to keeping keep your rig running.
This is about the inverters that connect to the car battery.
1. Can these be powerful enough to power a full size refrigerator?
2. Would I have to have the engine running to power a refrigerator?
3. If I have to run the engine, how long should I be able to safely run the engine at idle in a hot and humid summer in a covered but open parking space?
We have a 2015 Hyundai Elantra 1.8L and 2019 Hyundai Kona 2.0L
Yes.
Yes.
Didn't have a problem for 72 hours.
Continuous draw might be an issue , alternators aren't really designed for it. Fridges don't use a lot of power though provided you're not constantly in and out of them.
This is why RV refrigerators are made so that you can run them on either 12 volts or propane gas. Running the fridge on propane is silent and you can still run the lights on battery.
They make some duel fuel (gasoline/propane) portable generators mounted in a wheeled cart that can put out 3500W continuous. You can store it in the garage to keep it out of the weather and then wheel it outside for safe running when it's needed. Something like this. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Champion-Po...eld/5013242147
They make some duel fuel (gasoline/propane) portable generators mounted in a wheeled cart that can put out 3500W continuous. You can store it in the garage to keep it out of the weather and then wheel it outside for safe running when it's needed. Something like this. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Champion-Po...eld/5013242147
After hurricanes pass thieves drive through the area listening for the sound of generators. One neighbor had one chained with a thick and heavy chain. They cut through the chain and stole the generator in less than 2 minutes.
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